question about traction control
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Cargo Master
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 3,357
Likes: 250
question about traction control
today I was tearing around a little bit on the my snow covered yard and when I made a turn and gunned it to get the back end to kick out the traction control light would flash once and the truck would straighten out. Is this normal for the light to come on in this type of situation? I'm usually pretty conservative when I drive and don't spin the tires but today I felt like tearing around.
Senior User
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 132
Likes: 2
As mentioned, pressing and holding the traction control button will turn off or limit the various traction functions. Pretty sure one of the functions goes into a less aggressive mode, rather than being completely disabled. I understood it when I read up on disabling traction control several years ago, but have since forgotten. I generally disable traction control when plowing (and lock the rear).
OT.... My wife's prius will actually stop the vehicle from moving (from a standstill) when snow or ice conditions are right. That stupid car was dead in the water at the top of our driveway last winter, with no traction control disable button. Later discovered the prius can be put in a special "maintenance mode" to disable traction control after a long and complicated series of key turns, brake presses, etc...
OT.... My wife's prius will actually stop the vehicle from moving (from a standstill) when snow or ice conditions are right. That stupid car was dead in the water at the top of our driveway last winter, with no traction control disable button. Later discovered the prius can be put in a special "maintenance mode" to disable traction control after a long and complicated series of key turns, brake presses, etc...
Laughing Gas
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 1,047
Likes: 6
From: Massachusetts
I always hold that button down and shut off traction control and advance trac. Seems to help performance a bit!
Super Moderator
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 25,479
Likes: 738
From: Isanti, MN
Some of what you're describing is stability control operating in conjunction with traction control. Traction control acts to regain traction by cutting engine power and braking the spinning wheel. Stability control senses a skid and acts to regain control. It does this most commonly by braking the outside wheels in the skid to bring the truck back in line.
You need to disable all of this to do a donut. Tried forcing a skid with the parking brake last weekend and the system stopped the spin by braking one of my front wheels. Pretty impressive what it can do, but it's not much fun!
You need to disable all of this to do a donut. Tried forcing a skid with the parking brake last weekend and the system stopped the spin by braking one of my front wheels. Pretty impressive what it can do, but it's not much fun!
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Lead Driver
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 5,938
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From: NY/Canada border
Maybe it's the era or the vehicles I grew up in, but I'm not a fan of traction control and disable it when we get snowy weather.
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 984
Likes: 8
I hate these systems. I've been stuck or almost wrecked from the truck doing something while I wanted it to do something else. Even if I disable the crap by holding the button I still can't slide the truck. Anymore when I need it to act like a real truck I start pulling fuses.
Mountain Pass
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 105
Likes: 3
From: San Jose
I know this thread is about "fun"doing doughnuts and stuff. I also figured out how by disabling the advance trac and traction control. But there is a black box in your new truck. If you disable all that stuff your insurance may discover that and it could be a problem if you get in an accident. I just leave it on unless I'm off road... Believe me I don't like having a black box!
Jim
Jim
FTE Leadership Emeritus
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 23,174
Likes: 1,678
From: Stephensville WI
Holy cow, the fun police are out in force! 
Seriously, why would your insurance company care if you go out into a vacant field and spin some donuts? That doesn't brand you as an unsafe driver.
Seriously, why would your insurance company care if you go out into a vacant field and spin some donuts? That doesn't brand you as an unsafe driver.
Cargo Master
Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 2,745
Likes: 72
From: West Virginia
I know this thread is about "fun"doing doughnuts and stuff. I also figured out how by disabling the advance trac and traction control. But there is a black box in your new truck. If you disable all that stuff your insurance may discover that and it could be a problem if you get in an accident. I just leave it on unless I'm off road... Believe me I don't like having a black box!
Jim
Jim
However, if the information in a particular vehicle were to be subpoenaed, they would certainly turn it over. At this point, it would take a very compelling reason to obtain a subpoena, but the definition of compelling is becoming less "compelling" all the time...